MILITARY TRAINING.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 20 December 1913, Page 4

MILITARY TRAINING.

A QUAKER MEMORIAL

■T TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION. WELLINGTON, Dec. 19. Representatives of the Society of Friends in New Zealand waited on ihe Prime Minister and Minister of Defence to-day to present a memorial adopted by a representative meeting of the Society in London. The memorial expressed deep regret that "associates of the Society had been fined for non-registration and refusal to drill, and pleaded that there shall be no compulsion of conscieifce and no interference by the soldier with civil government, or education, or parental control. The deputation desired to know whether, as suggested by the Parliamentary Committee, the Government would legislate and administer the Act on the broad basis of meeting

! the conscience of all. There had also been serious possibilities of interference with education by the military authorities, and it was desired to protest against any such action. With regard to the memorial, Mr Massey said he could not allow citizens of another country to interfere with the legislation of the Dominion or

with the administration of the law. The proposals of the Defence Committee were in the direction of providing for conscientious objectors. and he thought that was right. He was not in a position to say what Parliament would do nest session, but believed something more should be done to help the conscientious objector. The Government proposed to administer' the law of the country with regard to compulsory training in strict compliance with its spirit. Mr Massey added: "We propose to stand by the spirit of the people of this country, and their representatives hi Parliament came to the conclusion that we must get into position to defend ourselves if the necessity should arise," He was perfectly couvinced the administering of the Act was doing a great deal of good ,and believed the people of Britain would come to the same conclusion. In regard to selfdefence, the time was a long way off when, as Scripture said, men would beat their swords into pkmghshares, and none of us would ever live to see it. The object of the Act was defence, not offence. He strongly impressed on the deputation the fact that a huge majority of New Zealand people intended to keep the Act on the statute book.'

Mr Allen pointed out that the Act was a military Act. but its preliminary stages were civil stages, and the military authorities had nothing to do with, a young fellow until he registered. As to the report of the Defence Committee, that was set up to deal with the question of conscientious objectors; the report would not have been in the shape it is if he had not been in sympathy with it. lf_ possible something would be done next session to deal with conscientious objections. It was not right that any young fellow should be let off service without making an equivalent secrifice, and the problem he had to solve was what alternative service should be provided, and he asked the deputation to helo him. He could not let 6iich men off altogether. The churches ia the Dominion reported through the chaplains that the effect of camps on young men had been good.